King County Women's Advisory Board

"Improving the Lives of Women in King County"

Established in 1978, the King County Women’s Advisory Board (WAB) makes recommendations to the King County Executive and the King County Council to ensure the needs, rights and well-being of women are taken into account by county government. The board is comprised of 15 individuals: two nominated by the King County Executive to serve as at-large members, nine members selected by the county council members to represent each council district, and four additional at-large members selected by council members. The executive submits all nominations to the council for confirmation.

Meeting Details

The King County Women's Advisory Board will be meeting in 2017 on the following dates. All meetings are open to the public, although only appointed members are eligible to vote.

January 11, 2017

March 8, 2017

May 10, 2017

July 12, 2017

September 13, 2017

November 8, 2017 (Note: This meeting may be held at a different location.)

The Women's Advisory Board meetings typically are held from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in Room 115 of the Chinook Building. The street address is 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98136, and the location is at the southwest corner of 5th Avenue and Jefferson Street. Parking is available on the street or in various parking garages neat the building.

Contact

Linda Wells is the staff for the board. You may contact her with any questions or for more information at Linda C. Wells or 206-263-9069.

Women's Advisory Board Members

King County Women's Advisory Board's 2014 Recommendations for the King County Executive and the Metropolitan King County Council, "Improving Wage Equity and Promoting Family Friendly Workplace Policies throughout King County."

Kelsey Beck, membership chair of the Women’s Advisory Board, resides in District 2. Larry Gossett is her Metropolitan King County Councilmember.

Ms. Beck fills one of the Council-At-Large positions. She works for the City of Seattle. Originally from North Carolina, Ms. Beck has lived in Seattle since 2001. She began working for the City of Seattle, first Seattle City Councilmember Clark’s office in 2014 after two years working on state policy in the City of Seattle’s Office of Intergovernmental Relations. Previously she worked for nearly ten years at Food Lifeline where she advocated for local, state and federal solutions to ending hunger. She has a master’s degree in policy studies from the University of Washington Bothell, a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Women’s Studies from the University of Washington at Chapel Hill, and enjoys running and relaxing in the rare Pacific Northwest sun.

Sabrina Bolieu resides in District 1. Rod Dembowski is her Metropolitan King County Councilmember.

Ms. Bolieu was appointed by King County Executive and was confirmed by the Metropolitan King County Council. She fills the District 1 position. She describes herself as a multi-cultural, young professional who is eager to represent the voice of the younger female generation in King County. Ms. Bolieu is a graduate of the University of Washington. She states that while she firmly identifies as a North Seattle “city dweller,” her roots are planted in the suburban rural town of Puyallup, Washington in Pierce County. Ms. Bolieu states that she “was raised in an impoverished, single family household while observing the plight of an unincorporated town undergo tremendous growth at the hands of poor city planning. The limitless sprawl, strip mall development and underrepresentation in local government inspired me to become civically active, serve the underserved, and work towards a more sustainable future for our community and beyond. I have a strong desire to be an active participant in decision-making affecting women’s issues in King County.” Her current employer is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and previously she worked at the Forterra organization.

Kathy Brasch is the co-chair of the King County Women’s Advisory Board. Ms. Brasch fills one of the two Executive-At-Large positions.

Ms. Brasch served on the Regional Human Services Levy Oversight Board and states that the time on that board gave her an insight into the workings of the King County citizen boards as well as a new appreciation of the county’s work in human services. She also volunteers as a Mass Care Team Leader with the Red Cross which has given her insight in the ways women are involved in the recovery process following disasters. Ms. Brasch reports that working with the Carnation-Duvall Citizen Corps also gives her the opportunity to work with women in rural areas as they prepare their families for emergencies and disasters. Her experiences in working with these diverse groups enhanced her ability to understand some of the challenges they face. She is hopeful that her experiences and abilities will have positive impacts to assist the and the Women’s Advisory Board as it helps women overcome obstacles and better their lives.

Trang Hahn fills the District 6 position and is the current secretary for the board. She states that she has been volunteering in one capacity or another in order to give back to the community since moving to Washington. Ms. Hahn earned her B. A. in history with concentrations in education and Asian American studies from UCLA and has 15 years of experience working in the human resources and payroll accounting field. She moved to the Pacific Northwest in 1999 and has worked for a local companies such as Adaptis and Big Fish Games. In addition to her work in the accounting industry, Trang has volunteered with many organizations in the Seattle area. She tutored children with the Seattle Youth Tutoring Program for over 6 years. Trang also serves on the board and volunteers with Helping and Loving Orphans (HALO), a local charity founded by Betty Tisdale, a Jefferson Award winner. Additionally, Trang has volunteered in the Bellevue school system and Operation Nightwatch. When she is not parenting her two young toddlers, Trang enjoys playing tennis and exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her family.

Annette Messitt is the co-chair of the Women’s Advisory Board and resides in District 8. Joe McDermott is her Metropolitan King County Councilmember.

Ms. Messitt fills one of the two Executive-At-Large positions. She brings to the Women’s Advisory Board her experience as an attorney, with experience as a deputy prosecutor with the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Currently, Ms. Messitt operates her own freelance attorney practice that focuses on employment-related issues including discrimination, wage and hour disputes, and civil appeals. She also serves as a Judge Pro Tempore in King County District Court and Edmunds Municipal Court. Ms. Messitt has a three-year-old daughter, and she is particularly committed to improving the lives of working mothers in King County.